Method of firing a powder charge simultaneously throughout its length.



PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

F. I. DU PONT. METHOD OF FIRING A POWDER CHARGE SIMULTANEOUSLYTHROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH;

APPLICATION FILED IEB.25,1905.

SALTFES PTENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS 1. DU PONT, or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE. METHOD or FIRING A POWDERCHARGE SIMULTANEOUSLY THROUGHOUT us LENGTH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0.1.31, 1e05,

Application filed February 25, 1905. Serial No. 247.245.

To all whom itmay concern.-

.Be it known that I, FRANCIS I. DU PONT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wilmington, county oflNewcastle', and State of Delaware,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Firing a PowderCharge Simultaneously Throughout Its Length, of which the following is afull. clear,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which. form a part of this specification. 1

Speaking generally, I' accomplish this result by embedding in the powdercharge a highresistance wire which forms part of an electric circuit.

This invention is applicable to smokelesspowder priming charges for gunsof large caliber. In this case I form a cellular body of smokelesspowder, in the cells of which is placed a quick-burning powder. Acentral orifice or passage extends through this body. The walls of thecells may come up close to or have openings into the central passage, orboth. Through this central passage extends an electric conductor, whichmay be of high resistance throughout its length or may have resistancesopposite each cell. By passing current through the circuitrtheresistances act to produce ignition of the powder at all points wherethey are.

I will first describe the embodiment of my invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and then point out the invention in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view showing the high-.resistance conductor embedded in the powder. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview of the central body of smokeless power containing in the cells.quick-burning powder .currentesupply.

with my invention added thereto. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, theresistances not being continuous. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4:, Fig.2 or Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation of Fig. 2 or Fig. 3.

g, F ig. 1, is a block or charge of powder.

h isaconductor of high resistance embedded in and extending through thewhole length of the block One end of thisresistancemondu'ctor h isconnected with one pole. and the other end with; the other pole of asource of (Not shown.)

- In Figs. 2 to 5, (It represents a skeleton cylinder of'smokelesspowder, consisting of a cylinder having a series of cells Z), a centralorifice c, and provided with orifices (1 through the walls of the cellsto the central orifice 0.

The cells 6. and, if desired, also the'central orifice-c are filled withquick-flashing powder or guncotton. Through the central orifice'orpassage 0 extends conductor 2', which may be, '60

as shown in Fig. 2, of high resistancethroughout, or it may be, as inFig. 3, provided with resistancejopposite'eachcell. Theconductor a, likethe conductor h, is connected at one end with one pole and at the otherend with the other pole of a current-supply. (Not shown.) I

' In practice when the circuit is closed through the high-resistanceconductor it, if as in Figs.

1 and 2, glows throughout or, if as in Fig. 3, at the point of theresistances, causing the si- 76 multaneous ignition of the powder at allor many points.

I do'not'in this application claim the cellular body of smokeless powderwith the quickflashingpowder or guncotton .in' the cells thereof asdescribed and illustrated alone, as

. the same forms the subject-matter of a separate application filed byme February 25, 1905, and serially numbered 247,244.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire toprotect by Letters Patent, is

1. As a means of igniting simultaneously a plurality or all portions ofa powder charge, a conductor of. high resistance forming part of anelectric circuit embedded in, and extending throughout the length of,the charge.

2. As means of igniting simultaneously a' plurality or all portions of apowder charge, a conductor forming part of an electric circuit embeddedin, and extending throughout the length of, the charge, said conductorbeing of high resistance at parts or throughout the conductor. 1

3. The combination with a cellular body of smokeless powder, having aquick-igniting powder in the cells of an electric conductor forming partof a circuit extending through the length of said body, said conductorbeing of high resistance in part or in whole.

4. The combination, with a cellular body of smokeless powder, havingacentral orifice and a quick ig'niting powder in the cells, of anelectric conductor forming part of a circuit extending through thelength of said orifice, said conductor being of high resistance in partor in whole. n

5. The combination, with a cellular body of smokeless powder, having acentral orifice and openings from said cells to said central orifice, aquick-igniting powder in the cells, of an electric conductor formingpart of a circuit extend- I ing through the length of said orifice, saidconductor being of high resistance in part or in whole.

